


In Victory, Unbearable

by elenathehun



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassination, Biological Warfare, Blue Shadow Virus (Star Wars), Episode: s02e10 The Deserter, Fragging, Gen, Hapes Consortium (Star Wars), Planet Ryloth | Twi'lek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:47:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28639500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elenathehun/pseuds/elenathehun
Summary: I'm watching The Clone Wars in chronological order, and I have a lot of opinions about it.  In the immortal words of Frank Constanza: "I got a lot of problems with you people! And now you're gonna hear about it!"Now with index of all fics posted!Chapter 5: 2x18 "The Zillo Beast" - That one time Obi-Wan Kenobi just flagrantly lies to the leader of the free galaxy, and there's nothing Mace Windu can do to stop him.Chapter 6: 2x10 "The Deserter" - The IoT can be a real bitch if you're mean to it.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Mace Windu
Comments: 25
Kudos: 80





	1. Index of Works

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An index of all works in this collection.

Chapter 1: **Stealth Attack** , an AU of 2x16 "Cat and Mouse" - Ten years ago, Anakin Skywalker managed to destroy a Droid Control ship with just the Force, a snubfighter, and a really opinionated R2 droid. Today, he's got a stealth ship and a lot of clone commandoes, all raring to go. [Anakin Skywalker, Rex, & Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Chapter 2: **The Strong Horse** , an AU of 1x01 "Ambush" - Yoda is 874 years old, and has seen more war than almost anyone alive today in the galaxy. He isn't going to start something; but he sure as hell won't hesitate to finish it. [Yoda & Ni'Koresh and Ta'a Chume of the Hapes Consortium]

Chapter 3: **The Right Choice, Not The Easy One** , an AU of 1x17 "Blue Shadow Virus" - If there was ever a time to nuke a site from orbit, it was now. [Neeyutnee & Panaka]

Chapter 4: **lying through my sharp, sharp teeth** , an AU of 1x21 "Liberty on Ryloth" - The Grand Army of the Republic and Orn Free Taa come to liberate Ryloth. One of them leaves; the other doesn't. [Orn Free Taa & Cham Syndulla]

Chapter 5: **The Right Choice, as well as the Easy One** , an AU of 2x18 "The Zillo Beast" - That one time Obi-Wan Kenobi just flagrantly lies to the leader of the free galaxy, and there's nothing Mace Windu can do to stop him. [Mace Windue & Obi-Wan Kenobi]

Chapter 6: **Mutiny on Saleucami** , an AU of 2x10 "The Deserter" - The IoT can be a real bitch if you're mean to it. [General Grievous, B1 Battle Droids, major (although non-graphic) character death]


	2. Index of Works

Anakin wasn't _stupid_ , no matter what Obi-Wan thought. He wasn't great at talking to people, or listening to the stupid things people weren't saying, or "considering all the options before him, Anakin", but he was good-to-great at most other things, and once Obi-Wan showed him the new stealth ship, it didn't take long for him to put two and two together and figure out that it would be an excellent way to handle those damn command-and-control ships the Trade Federation used to field their droid armies. It'd been over ten years since the blockade of Naboo, and the best tactic the GAR had to destroy the things - aside from a single pilot entering the hanger and detonating it from within, and it truly must have been the Will of the Force at work that day over Naboo, because Anakin had seen far too many Jedi die trying the same tactic in the early days of the war - was to field a fleet of cruisers and destroyers and slug it out with the CIS protective screen.

Sometimes that was fine; not every admiral on the CIS side was brilliant, and the Republic Navy could crack them open like a nut, no Jedi assistance required. But sometimes the CIS admiral was actually good, and that's where the Jedi and the GAR came in, ready in willing to do the impossible, whatever the cost.

Yeah, OK, he might be a little resentful about the whole thing. When Anakin had thought about becoming a Jedi, he hadn't dreamed of _this_.

"Sir, I've got the team loaded and ready," Captain Rex informed him professionally - and indeed, Rex had managed to cram a full clone commando platoon into the prototype stealth cruiser, along with the actual crew necessary to run the ship. They all looked antsy and ready-to-go, at least from the feeling Anakin was getting from them in the Force.

"Good job, Captain," Anakin praised. He hadn't been working with the 501st that long, and Obi-Wan had always said that positive reinforcement was a good teaching tool. Soldiers were like Padawans, right? Right. "We'll let the ship crew go over the pre-flight check a final time, and then-"

"General Skywalker! Admiral Yularen has ordered you to hold your departure!"

Anakin didn't waste a second of thought after that - he just yanked Rex further into the ship with the Force and closed the bulkhead door as fast as he could. "Blackout, I need departure now!"

"We're missing a comms specialist-" the commander protested.

"Use someone on the platoon who's been cross-trained, I want out out of this hangar in the next 30 seconds," Anakin ordered tersely, and Blackout complied, back stiff with disapproval.

"Why do I get the feeling that this mission hasn't been approved of by the Admiralty?" Rex mumbled beside him, and Anakin snorted a little bit.

"The Galactic Republic Navy does not give orders to the Grand Army of the Republic, Captain."

"Will General Kenobi accept that argument?"

That was awfully familiar of Rex. Good. He was loosening up a bit.

"He will if we're successful!"

* * *

Security on the Droid Control Ship wasn't any better than it had been ten years before. And unlike then, it wasn't just Anakin and R2 in a snubfighter against the skeleton crew. It was currently Anakin, a platoon of clone commandoes, and a stealth ship against the skeleton crew.

And the Force, of course, but that was a given.

Either way, control of the _Lucrehulk_ -class Battleship, unimaginatively named "Control Ship 5073-Jenth" swiftly passed into the capable hands of Captain Rex, and it wasn't much longer before one of his team's slicers took control of the the droid army on the surface of the planet below and turned them off.

"You were supposed to aid Senator Organa," Obi-wan said. He looked pretty irritated, judging from the cock of his hip and the way he was stroking his beard. 

"And I did," Anakin replied, leaning back in the fancy cushioned chairs the Trade Federation preferred. "By taking control of the droid army, I ended the threat by ground and air."

"By ground, yes, but by air? Are you forgetting the fleet blockading the system, Anakin?" Obi-Wan chided. 

"The fleet that's leaving?" Anakin asked. " _That_ fleet? They're only here to protect the droid command ship. CIS strategy has always been to clear out of the system once their droid armies have been defeated. I was just saving you the time of a full-scale invasion, master!"

There was a long pause, while Obi-Wan continued to stroke his beard. 

"Well, you _did_ save me and Field Marshall Cody a great deal of time. And you're right, the CIS fleet just jumped to hyperspace on the far side of the planet."

Anakin grinned even wider. "Not bad for a first field test, right?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think TCW made Anakin too stupid. It should take me another 19 weeks or so (barring any interruptions irl) to finish watching the entire series, so you can follow along [here](https://elenathehun.tumblr.com/tagged/watching-the-clone-wars). I'm going to try and post a reaction ficlet every week or so - I'm sure TCW will furnish plenty of material.


	3. The Strong Horse (AU of 1x01)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoda is 874 years old, and has seen more war than almost anyone alive today in the galaxy. He isn't going to start something; but he sure as hell won't hesitate to finish it. [AU of 1x01 "Ambush"}

The recording hits the holonet with all the force of a bomb going off. It's inexpertly edited, and obviously sourced from low-quality helmet cam footage, but despite its deficiencies, it's _riveting_. The tiny green Jedi is like something out of the stories, the _old_ ones - flipping through battle-droids almost faster than the eye can see, throwing tanks back with a wave of his clawed hands, slicing through metal with a sword of pure light...

The clips are amazing, each one better than the last, and the final clip is the best of all: the Separatist general swings two blades of bloody light towards the King of Toydaria - and is frozen, straining against a force she cannot overcome. The Jedi pulls her blades from her grasp with a sweep of his hands - and neatly decapitates her. 

Ni'Koresh will admit: it's a very strong first impression for a group of people lauded as diplomats and pacifists. Those...are not the actions of a lily-livered coward.

"Mother, the Chamberlain of Toydaria confirms the events of the video are correct." 

That is Ta'a, last-but-not-least of Ni'Koresh's many grasping daughters. She is clever and strong and strikes like a viper. It's a brave woman to propose an alliance with the Jedi, knowing Ni'Koresh's poor opinion of them. It's a clever woman to understand Ni'Koresh despises weakness and admires strength, and finds a way to reframe the Jedi in light of that. Ta'a is both brave and clever, and Ni'Koresh is inclined to reward her.

"You will go to Coruscant, Ta'a," Ni'Koresh finally orders, still reclined in her throne. "Take what servants and guards you need, but reach out directly to that Jedi and see if he is amenable to an alliance. It's clear that Count Dooku is the lesser choice - and I will not choose poorly for our people."

"As you will it, it shall be done, Mother," Ta'a murmurs with a deep bow. Ni'Koresh gazes at crown of her daughter's red-gold hair, and wonders when her daughter's next assassination attempt will arrive.

At the rate things are going...Ta'a might very well succeed. Ni'Koresh is only sad she won't be alive to see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ni'Koresh and Ta'a Chume are both characters from the old Legend EU, specifically Queen Mothers of the Hapan Consortium. The setting and characters are tragically underused in fandom, unfortunately. And yes, they were absolutely the sort of people to respect violence above anything else. I'm still watching "The Clone Wars" TV show with friends, so [feel free to follow along.](https://elenathehun.tumblr.com/tagged/watching-the-clone-wars)


	4. "The Right Choice, not the Easy One"  (AU of 1x17)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there ever a time to nuke a site from orbit, it was now.

_"Good news, my soulless autonomous friends!"_ the scientist exclaims rapturously. "We now have enough of the Blue Shadow Virus to start filling the bombs! We will only need to send one bomb to each key star system. Work quickly; I want them ready to deliver-"

The salvaged recording cuts off into a short blast of static. Neeyutnee purses her lips. The rest of the audience holds it's collective breath.

"Is that truly possible?" she finally asks, directing her questions towards the government's director of public health. "I was under the impression that the Cardonian Quarantine did not allow for the collection of viral matter. How could hehave gotten samples of the original virus to replicate?"

The director frowns. She's a no-nonsense octogenarian who had spent years working among the poor and deprived of Hutt Space before returning home for a final position prior to retirement. Her clinical credentials are impeccable, if not as polished as some of her colleagues educated on Coruscant. "Prior to the quarantine, the Republic's Medical Service did collect samples in an attempt to develop a cure. They failed, obviously, but the samples are supposed to still be in deep freeze in the headquarters..."

The woman trails off with a grimace. Neeyutnee resists the urge to mirror her. The Republic's promises were worth as much as they ever were on Naboo - which was not much of anything at all.

"And that man monologuing to droids?" Neeyutnee directs this question to Panaka.

"Doctor Nuvo Vidi," he reports, as unhappy as the director. "Prior to his reported death a decade ago, he was wanted for a variety of crimes against sentience and terrorist acts. He gassed every bounty hunting agency on Ord Marsax, for instance."

"Does he have the ability to weaponize the Blue Shadow Virus, or is this scientific hubris on his part?"

Panaka glances at the public health director, and she takes over. "Prior to his death, he was one of four researchers SBI rated as having the ability to manipulate level Arek viruses, so yes, if he has a sample and the requisite equipment, it's mostly likely he could weaponize it."

"And the testimony from the Gungan woman?" Neeyutnee demands.

The Gungan interpreter leans forward. Neeyutnee is still inexpert at interpreting their body language, but she thinks the set of his ears indicates fear. 

"A disease from the water," he says miserably. "It killed her shaak herd in less than a day."

Left unsaid is that is far faster than Blue Shadow Virus's average progression in the historical record.

So. They have a recording of a scientist stating his work on the Blue Shadow Virus is ready for military deployment, and confirmation said scientist has the knowledge to do so. They've had reports of animal deaths in the country-side, deaths that match the symptoms of Blue Shadow Virus. And Padme and Binks are out of contact.

It doesn't look good for Naboo right now, Neeyutnee grudgingly admits. it doesn't look good at all.

"We already know what the Trade Federation is capable of," she says, pitching her voice so it carries throughout the room. "And the Separatists are just the Trade Federation write large, targeting hospitals and refugee camps and civilian aid. Given the atrocities they are committing on Ryloth this very moment, I don't believe we can wait for the Jedi to come to our aid."

"...you Majesty?" Panaka asks, and a look of existential dread covered his face. 

"Yes," Neeyutnee answers, and feels every bit of the weight the people of Naboo charged to her carry on their behalf when she was elected. "I'm authorizing a military strike."

* * *

Padme and Binks are unable to evacuate the site; they are most like still being held prisoner, if they weren't immediately killed when they were discovered by the droids. Neeyutnee witnesses the payload delivery - a nuclear warhead in a bunker buster missile - and also waits until the next flight confirms target destruction. It's very anti-climatic. Neeyutnee doesn't know how she feels about that. The director of public health and Panaka excuse themselves to form a team to check the site personally and confirm all samples of Blue Shadow Virus are destroyed.

Neeyutnee mourns her hero. Padme would _never _have blamed her, she knows - the safety and sovereignty of Naboo and her peoples were foremost in her mind, always - but it doesn't change the fact that her friend is dead.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...and then Neeyutnee broke the news to Anakin Skywalker and he damn near killed her right then and there.


	5. "lying through my sharp, sharp teeth" (AU of 1x21)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Grand Army of the Republic and Orn Free Taa come to liberate Ryloth. One of them leaves; the other doesn't.

The celebration is necessary, if incomplete. Ryloth has been occupied for months, and so many people have been killed...or worse, they've been exported, moved to labor camps in the Confederacy that the GAR lacks the ability to strike and the Republic the will to sanction. But that's been politics as long as Cham has been alive, and Cham's father, and his grandfather as well.

Cham has nothing but respect for the Jedi and the clones they lead, but they're only papering over the cracks in the wall. Orn Free Taa is everything wrong with the sort of people the Republic elevates on Ryloth, and to hear that he had rather Ryloth be crushed beneath the heel of an invader rather than swallow his pride and reach out to Cham is something he can all too easily believe.

The celebration is sweet, but it ends soon enough. The GAR lingers for a day or so later, going through the rubble and ensuring no traps have been left behind by the CIS. They leave within the week, the Jedi already focusing on the next front of this wasteful, stupid war. 

Orn Free Taa foolishly remains behind.

* * *

He's trying to secure his planetary holdings, of course. The commercial buildings he owns in the capital have been destroyed, but his personal estates in the countryside remain - a vast plantation of choice arable land, deliberately left fallow. Cham is not a farmer, but many of his troops are. They have told him how many hungry Twi'leks could be fed if the land was made productive. Cham has been listening very closely.

The trip to the estate is relatively quick - traffic outside the capital is still fairly light, as Twi'leks make their way home from the internment camps the CIS had held them in. The smaller the city or town, the more likely they will still have a home to return too. The droid bombing campaign was all too effective over Ryloth's major cities. Cham has already set a team to consider the resettlement problem ahead of them.

But there is no more time to think about that. They have finally arrived - because of course Cham could hardly let Taa come alone, now could he? Not their honorable Senator to the greater galaxy.

"Oh, my," Taa sighs despondently as he gets out of the speeder. "Such a mess, it will take ages to clean up."

It doesn't look too bad to Cham. A tank obviously crashed through a wing of the manor; droids have obviously ransacked the place looking for valuables. Tambor Wat has probably shipped it all off-world by now, but even if Taa's belongings were left for last, Cham is hardly going to go searching for them. 

"Well, speak up, Syndulla! How many people can you detail to correcting this injustice?"

Cham just turns and looks at Taa. He should be shocked at his selfishness, but he isn't. When has Orn Free Taa done anything for the people he is meant to serve? Of course he would think only for himself, in a time when every Twi'lek is suffering.

It makes it exceptionally easy for Cham to unholster his blaster and shoot Orn Fee Taa in the head multiple times.

* * *

"What should we do with the body?" 

That's the division captain for the area, a tough Rutian woman with a nasty way with a knife. 

"Leave it for the gutkurrs," Cham says with a shrug. "At least he'll be of use that way."

Two members of the patrol who'd come with Cham and Taa came over and started dragging the body away. It would be picked to bones in the next day or so, Cham had no doubt about that.

"Any further orders, sir?" The captain asked, one eye on the horizon.

"Survey the building, see how much of it is habitable, or can be made habitable with a little effort," Cham said dismissively. "We'll want to form an agrarian commune here to ameliorate the food supply issue. I'll expect your report by tomorrow."

And with that, he turns back to his blurgg mount, already thinking of what needs to happen next. Cham Syndalla means to save his people. Orn Free Taa called him a radical; Cham prefers the term _patriot_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Ryloth. What could have been, if Lucasfilm was willing to admit it wasn't a kid's show...


	6. "The Right Choice, as well as the Easy One" (AU of 2x18)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That one time Obi-Wan Kenobi just flagrantly lies to the leader of the free galaxy, and there's nothing Mace Windu can do to stop him.

This whole mess on Malastare was definitely Obi-Wan's fault. At least, that was what Mace was uncharitably thinking as they set up the holocomm to the Chancellor to report on the results of the electro-proton bomb test. Maybe if Skywalker had been assigned to this campaign like Mace had requested, they could have averted the unexpected side-effect of the bomb test, and thus avoided awakening a primordial animal from the deeps. But Mace's request for the 501st had been denied, he'd gotten the 212th instead (due to their "excellent cohesion during the Ryloth campaign", at least according to Naval Command), and Mace had gotten another firsthand experience of what Bant Eerin called "The Kenobi Effect". 

Mace thought that name was too kind by far, but Bant was one of Obi-Wan's creche-mates, and had inexplicably vetoed Mace's suggestion that it should be called "Obi-Wan's Weird Psychic Risk-Taking Disease", on the basis of it not being catchy enough for her research paper on clone psycho-telepathy. Mace had argued that it had the benefit of accurately describing the issue, but Bant had merely smiled inscrutably, asked him to have his medics run a series of neurological exams on the 187th before they finished up on Malastare, and disconnected the call. 

So, three weeks later, the 187th had succumbed to some kind of mass delusion that they could destroy battle droids with their bare hands, his medics had been absorbed by the 212th medics into a collective bundle of ill-will towards their fellow clones, and Mace was spending more time than ever counseling his men on silly things like "personal safety" and "best practices". The electro-bomb test and the appearance of the Zillo Beast had not improved matters. By this point, Mace was only holding on to his temper with his _teeth_. This call with the Chancellor would not improve matters. Every time Mace spoke with the man, in person or not, he developed a splitting headache.

"Mace, you look tired," Obi-Wan said, with the exact smile he bore whenever he was trying to pull the wool over someone's eyes. "Why don't you let me take the lead in the debrief with the Chancellor? I think I've gotten pretty good at getting our esteemed leader off the comm in fifteen minutes or less."

Generally, Mace took the lead on any calls with the Chancellor, if only to save his fellow Jedi from the hassle. But if Obi-Wan thought so highly of his own abilities...why not? He obviously wouldn't have offered if he didn't think he'd get something out of it, and at this point, Mace was willing to play along and see what happened.

* * *

The call went about as well as Mace expected, which is to say that Palpatine was insultingly disinterested in the particulars of the GAR. It raised Mace's blood pressure to dangerous levels, and if it weren't for the fact that Palpatine treated every Jedi like that, Mace would be convinced the other man was doing it on purpose, instead of just being yet another example of the sort of awful person who went into politics as a life-long career. But Obi-Wan handled it well. He laughed off every insinuation of incompetence, managed to imply the treaty with the Dugs was almost as good as done, and when Doctor Boll finally appeared, gracefully lent the floor to the Bivall scientist for a more thorough debriefing on the electro-proton bomb. Mace could see Obi-Wan softening the Chancellor up for the inevitable bad news about the Zillo Beast, and he had to admit that Obi-Wan's strategy was sound. 

"I'm glad that things have gone well, although it's a shame the electro-bomb is only suitable for long-distance use," Palpatine said through the transmission. "Has anything else of note occurred, Doctor Boll?"

And now for the inevitable crash-and-burn. Yes, everything had gone well, even with the giant crater the bomb had inadvertently created, but the Zillo Beast was on another level entirely. Mace had no idea how-

"Nothing of any importance, Chancellor," Doctor Boll said mildly. "I'll submit a final analysis of the electro-proton bomb performance to the General Staff within the day. I hope we can begin mass production and deployment within a month-"

"Yes, yes," the Chancellor said, a touch of testiness in his voice. "Well, if that's all you have to report, I'll await your final analysis with bated breath. Master Kenobi, Master Windu, please send an estimate of final operations on Malastare in the same time-frame. "

And with that final word, he abruptly terminated the connection. Mace couldn't believe it.

"I can't believe that worked, Master Kenobi," Doctor Boll burbled. "How soon do you think we can set the relocation plan into effect?"

"Oh, please call me Obi-Wan, _Master Kenobi_ sounds so stuffy. I'm sure our Commanders have the details well in hand, Doctor," Obi-Wan said, smiling cheerfully. "Now if you don't mind, however, I'm going to update Master Windu on our current plan to handle the Zillo Beast without needing a new government grant. If you'll excuse me..."

"Oh, of course, Obi-Wan," the woman said with what looked like a pronounced coral flush spreading over the crown of her head. She started walked backwards towards the room's exit, still speaking. "I'll coordinate with Commanders Cody and Ponds regarding the calibration of the stun tanks. I have some ideas, based on it's reaction to the electro-proton bomb's radiation-"

The door cut her off. Mace looked at Obi-Wan, and felt his headache intensify. 

"What, exactly, did you promise Doctor Boll? And why did you think it was a smart idea to conceal the Zillo Beast from the Chancellor?" he asked, and Obi-Wan smiled rakishly and prepared his no-doubt clever defense.

* * *

So it turned out that the combined efforts of every GAR stun tank on planet, as well as the psychic persuasion of two master Jedi, was enough to put a giant primordial lizard back to sleep. Transporting the "body" of the beast off-world was the final touch on the treaty with the Dugs, and Doctor Boll ("Oh, you must call me Sionver, Obi-Wan, it's only fair!") was ecstatic at the prospect of monitoring the Zillo Beast on Dantooine, which fit the necessary criteria of being a planet that was a) unpopulated and b) controlled by the Order proper.

"I think that went rather well, all things considered," Obi-Wan said happily. Somewhere in the distance, Mace could hear clones cheering raucously, as well as the sound of many revving swoop engines. He had a bad feeling about that...

"It'll backfire on us," Mace predicted morosely. 

"It won't," Obi-wan demurred, absolutely certain. Mace grunted, and went to see what the 187th were doing now. 

Three months later, after his _fifth_ joint command with Obi-Wan, he had to admit that the other Jedi had been right about the Zillo Beast affair. Nothing had come of it, except for the dubious fact that the Senate War Committee kept pairing them up for campaigns after their successes on Ryloth and Malastare. There were probably worse results from deceiving the leader of the free galaxy, but given the Chancellor's marked propensity for short-term gains in place of delayed gratification, perhaps taking the choice out of his hands was for the best. After all, Dr. Boll had been sending some fascinating reports on experimental armor to the Council since her resettlement on Dantooine... 

Mace, on the other hand, had the opportunity to contribute ample data to Bant on the extent of the Kenobi Effect on clones and Jedi alike - enough to be listed as a significant contributor on the paper's précis. It was, Mace felt, a fitting reward for having to act as Obi-Wan Kenobi's Voice of Reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The opening quote stated "Choose what is right, not what is easy." Uh, what if they were the same thing?


	7. "Mutiny on Saleucami" (AU of 2x10)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The IoT can be a real bitch if you're mean to it.

The programming of the CIS battle droids was a carefully hidden secret, even from most of the CIS member states. The Techno Union guarded their trade secrets zealously, and even Count Dooku couldn't wrest that information out of their vaults. The Trade Federation, their closest business partners in the matter of the droid armies, only knew that there was a team dedicated to working and improving the code for the droids, but the composition of the team, as well as their location, was a mystery . 

* * *

"Sithspit!" Verla swore. "I can't figure out where I'm going wrong!"

Gadon resisted the urge to sigh. The Twi'lek woman was _damn_ good at optimizing decentralized systems - she had to be, or Gadon would never have recruited her in the first place - but she had an explosive temper, and it frayed Gadon's already tense nerves whenever she had an outburst.

"What's wrong, Verla?" he wearily asked, when it became clear that she was waiting for him to speak up.

"...I can't adequately cap the independence drive. The more I decentralize the C&C hubs, the more processing power the B1s have to handle on their own. And the more processing power they exert..."

"...the more likely it is we'll have a sentience event," Gadon finished. "Yeah, I see the problem, but I think you're over-estimating the possibility of it happening. B1s are essentially disposable foot soldiers. I think one or two might cross the event horizon, but the hundreds or thousands necessary for a mass revolt won't be possible, because the army goes through them like I go through tissues."

"They're networked together," Verla argued. "It really only takes one to infect the rest the network, and then what?"

Gadon sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Put in a failsafe, keyed to the TA line of droids. We have to get this update out on time, understand? Our lives _and_ our livelihoods are dependent on resolved the C&C issues the CIS has. We can't let perfection be the enemy of the good at this time."

Verla frowned, but nodded. "I guess...that will work. At least for a little bit," she said reluctantly. "But we'll still need to resolve the underlying issue after the patch goes out, because I don't want to have to tell our employers why their army just decided to mutiny."

* * *

"Power low."

"Shutting down."

"I can't go on."

The mechanical voices of the B1 battle droids surrounding him droned on and on. Grievous was content to ignore the puling whiners so long as they kept up with the pace he'd set on his reek. Of course, that state of events couldn't go on forever...

"Sir, we need to get our power recharged!"

"Not this again," Grievous snarled. "How could your power cells be so depleted?"

It was a good question, at least to Grievous. After all, it had barely been a half-day of marching! The internal batteries were supposed to last at least 36 Coruscanti hours before needing a recharge, at least at the current pace. Why were they so disgustingly _weak_?

"You would not let us ride on one of those creatures with you, sir," the original droid complained. "If you would allow us to close down for a few-"

Grievous had enough of the never-ending whining. The Jedi were close on their heels - didn't these fools understand they would all perish at the Jedi's hands if they didn't make it to the escape pod ahead of him? He ignited his second-favorite lightsaber, the green one he'd taken from some fool Bothan in the early days of the war, and casually cleaved the offending droid in two.

"Oh my God!" the unfortunate clone screeched as a death cry. 

"Any more complaints?" Grievous asked menacingly.

The B1s looked at each other and shook their heads silently.

"That's what I thought," he snarled, before turning back to the path ahead. "Now let's find that pod."

He didn't think about how strange it was for all the B1s to go silent, all at once. They were never quiet. The chatter was one of the quirks of their programming. If he had thought about it, and maybe looked back, he would have seen them form up into a classic infantry line, arm their rifles...and fire on him as a group.

But he didn't think about it, and he didn't see them, and thus died General Grievous, fragged by his own troops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know a damn thing about programming, but c'mon, this had to be written.


End file.
